Written by Aishani Chauhan & Divyanshi ThakurWhile heatwaves traditionally occur in the region from April to June, they are now starting earlier and lasting longer resulting in extended summers and shorter winters — this was among the other factors that the agriculture and weather experts who had been working on studying the impact of climate change on agriculture and other spheres of life discussed on Tuesday during a workshop on heatwaves and agriculture.The workshop was organised at Chandigarh Press Club. Journalists were also advised to focus on the impact of heatwaves and erratic rainfall on the Punjab state’s agriculture. The initiative, supported by the Punjab State Council for Science and Technology and Clean Air Punjab aimed to arm media professionals with scientific knowledge, climate data tools and effective reporting strategies to ensure accurate and responsible coverage of climate issues.Pratipal Singh, executive director, Punjab State Council for Science and Technology, delivered the keynote address, emphasising the severity of the heatwave crisis. Citing a recent NASA report, Singh noted that 2024 was the hottest year on record, a trend projected to intensify in the coming years.“Over the last 50 years, heatwaves, climate change, and global warming have dramatically affected lives not just in Punjab, but worldwide,” Singh said.He further highlighted instances such as the ban on public meetings in Maharashtra due to extreme temperatures and pointed out that thousands of lives have been lost to heatwaves in the past five decades. Singh also stressed the growing demand for water and cooling resources as a direct consequence of rising temperatures and discussed the role of pollutants in exacerbating global warming.Dr P S Kingra, head of the department, Agricultural Meteorology at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), provided a scientific overview of heatwaves and their agricultural impacts. She explained that while heatwaves traditionally occurred from April to June, they now start earlier and last longer, resulting in extended summers and shorter winters.Story continues below this adKingra detailed the Indian Meteorological Department’s (IMD) criteria for heatwaves and outlined contributing factors such as global warming, high atmospheric pressure systems, shifting wind patterns, drought, and regional geography. She emphasised that heatwaves are closely linked to climate change and discussed their direct and indirect effects on agriculture, including heat stress on crops. The expert also offered strategies for heat stress prevention and management in farming.The event opened with remarks from Saurabh Duggal, senior journalist and president of the Press Club, who underscored the media’s crucial role in shaping public understanding and policy around climate change. Various journalists who participated in the discussion shared their viewpoints on better coverage of climate-change related issues.The authors are interns at The Indian Express.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd